The importance of family meals

Monday, February 13, 2012

Once again, the importance of family meals in childhood to reduce the incidence of eating disorders, obesity and inadequate nutrition in the adolescent age.

In the journal Pediatrics posted analysis of 17 studies on the dietary habits of more than 182 thousand children and adolescents. Results indicate that children who eat at least five servings a week of joint with their families are 35% lower risk of developing a disorder in feeding than their peers who do not have such meals. As disturbances in the feeding habits of the researchers defined as overeat and vomiting, taking pills, laxatives or diuretics, starvation, eating very small amounts of food, avoiding meals, smoking cigarettes in order to reduce body weight, etc..

Also, children who had a common family meals were less obese, eating healthier meals and had healthy eating habits in relation to other children.

It is not irrelevant to emphasize that a common family meal and bring together children and parents, and often the only time that day to spend together.